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Until I Find Julian | LitPick Book Reviews
Until I Find Julian
Until I Find Julian
Until I Find Julian
Patricia Reilly Giff
Newbery Honor–winning author Patricia Reilly Giff tells a vivid, contemporary story about a remarkable boy who risks everything for his family and a bold girl who helps him. At home in Mexico, Mateo knows where he belongs: with Mami, Abuelita, little brother Lucas, and big brother Julian. When Julian leaves to work in el Norte, the United States, Mateo misses him. And when the family stops hearing from Julian, Mateo knows he has to find his beloved brother.   With only his old notebook and a backpack, Mateo heads for the border, where dangers await: robbers, and the border police, who will send him back home or perhaps even put him in prison. On his journey, Mateo meets Angel, a smart, mysterious girl who can guide his crossing. Angel is tough; so is Mateo, and his memories of his loving family sustain him. Because no matter what happens, he can’t go home until he finds Julian.

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Fiction

Age Level: 

  • 8 - 12

Mateo loves his family and home in Mexico more than anything else in the world. But his peaceful life is interrupted when Julian, his older brother, illegally crosses the northern border to find work in the U.S, and soon after, Julian goes missing. Despite his fears of a new, unfamiliar land, Mateo feels he is the only one who can find his brother, so he sets off on an adventure of his own, not knowing the language or what challenges he will face but willing to risk anything to find Julian.

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